WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's approval rating has dropped to 33 percent, its lowest point of his second term, according to a new Economist/YouGov poll. The decline puts Republican control of the House in jeopardy heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
Hugo Gurdon, editorial director of the Washington Examiner, said Trump's falling numbers could cost Republicans the chamber. Speaking Wednesday on CNN's Lauren Coates Live, Gurdon pointed to the historical pattern of the president's party losing House seats in midterms.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted seven House seats toward Democrats in June — a sign that analysts see the majority as increasingly competitive.
Historically, the president's party loses roughly 25 House seats in midterm elections. Republicans currently hold a thin majority, and Gurdon said a Democratic takeover of the House is more likely than Republicans holding on.
Gurdon cited Wisconsin as a state where a Republican running statewide might find it easier to distance himself from Trump than a candidate in a federal race.
Republicans, Gurdon said, have a better chance of keeping the Senate, where statewide dynamics and the political makeup of individual states work more in their favor.
Should Democrats win the House, a third impeachment of Trump would become possible. Democrats impeached Trump twice during his first term. Gurdon said Democratic leadership would likely resist another effort, but pressure from within the party — driven by Trump's unpopularity among Democrats and potential new grounds for action — would be substantial.
A Democratic House majority would also give the party control of the legislative agenda, subpoena power and the authority to launch investigations, reshaping oversight of the administration for the remainder of Trump's term.
